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An ESS Inc battery.
Photo courtesy ESS Inc

ESS is trying to solve a critical problem with renewable energy: How to store energy from wind and solar installations when the wind isn’t blowing and the sun isn’t shining.

The company’s proposed solution is a long-duration energy storage batteries made of iron, salt and water, which are much cheaper and more readily available than the elements used in batteries today, like lithium and cobalt. Its early momentum attracted $57 million in investments from powerful backers like Bill Gates and Softbank, CEO Eric Dresselhuys told CNBC.

On Monday, it hits another milestone, going public via SPAC to begin trading on the New York Stock Exchange on Monday under the ticker symbol GWH. It hopes to raise $308 million through the deal.

“There have been very few solutions for this long duration up until now, and it’s largely driven from the fact that we didn’t rely on energy storage as a major solution for hardening the system,” said Dresselhuys, who became the CEO of ESS this year after decades of energy and technology executive experience.

The company launched in the garage of co-founders Craig Evans and Julia Song in Portland, Ore., in 2011 (they’re a married couple, in addition to being business partners), then moved to the Portland State Business Accelerator before expanding to its current 200,000-square-foot headquarters.

The company is backed by Bill Gates’ clean energy investment firm Breakthrough Energy Ventures, SB Energy (a wholly owned subsidiary of SoftBank) and multinational chemical company BASF, among other investors. The SPAC comes through a reverse merger with ACON S2 Acquisition Corp., run out of private equity firm Acon Investments.

ESS has not recorded any revenue yet, according to financial filings dated Sept. 8, but Dresselhuys says it has shipped product to customers, including TerraSol Energies in Pennsylvania and Siemens-Gamesa in Denmark; investor documents claim several other unnamed utilities as customers also. Also, ESS has orders in the pipeline from SB Energy and Enel Green Power España.

The company lost $245.3 million in the first six months of 2021, but only $18.4 million were operating losses (the remainder was due to losses on reevaluations of warrant and derivative liabilities). Operating losses were $17.4 million for 2021, and it expects to record its first profit in 2023.

Iron, salt and water: Safe, readily available materials

The big breakthrough for ESS is a long-duration battery built from readily available materials, explained Carmichael Roberts, a co-chair of the investment committee at Breakthrough Energy Ventures In a battery, the electrolyte is the liquid medium that connects the two ends of a battery, the anode and the cathode.

“The flow battery is cheaper, safer and has better operational life than conventional lithium-ion storage,” Roberts said.

Making a battery out of iron, salt and water means “there’s no toxicity, the technology we build doesn’t start fires or doesn’t blow up in fire,” said Dresselhuys.

Also, ESS batteries do not have lithium or cobalt, two common elements in batteries that are being impacted by supply chain crunches.

“Both are in potentially short supply globally and none are produced in the U.S.,” said Jesse Jenkins, an assistant professor at Princeton University who specializes in the energy grid.

“Lithium is less of an issue in the long run, as long as we recycle lithium ion batteries, but there may be some short-run price increases as production ramps up to match battery demand for EVs,” Jenkins said.

“Cobalt is a bit trickier and has come under fire for some of the supply chain relying on quote unquote ‘artisanal mines’ in Africa, which employ forced labor, and child labor in some cases, with people digging out cobalt by hand and very, very harsh conditions,” Jenkins said.

Neither does ESS use vanadium, a chemical element used in some flow battery technology. While promising, Dresselhuys says it’s too expensive to be meaningful.

“It’s one thing to make something work, and that can be very difficult. But it has to work cost effectively to be viable as a system because of the scale we’re talking about,” he said.

How the battery works: ‘The elegance is the simplicity’

Visualize a sandwich, said ESS’s business development lead, Hugh McDermott. The ESS battery technology is a stack of carbon plates with salt water with iron flowing through each layer.

Iron comes out of the salt water solution and sticks to one side of the plates. When the polarity of the plates is changed, the iron dissolves back into the water solution.

From a battery management control system, the flow of the ions can be switched, thereby also switching the flow of electricity onto and off the grid.

ESS Inc’s iron flow battery “stack.”
Image courtesy ESS Inc.

The idea of a iron flow battery has been around since the 1970s, Dresselhuys said. But there were technical issues that scientists hadn’t solved.

For example, early iterations of the iron flow battery technology would work for a while, but the electrolyte fluid would become imbalanced, build up on the battery, and the battery would become ineffective over time. To fix this, ESS developed a proton pump, which Dresselhuys says “allows the system to keep itself in balance throughout all of those charges and discharges so that the electrolyte is entirely clean.”

Early research was funded in part by almost $3 million dollars in grant funding from the Department of Energy’s ARPA-E program, as well as individuals and local investment funds.

“The elegance is the simplicity,” said Rich Hossfeld, co-CEO at SB Energy and a board member at ESS. (SB Energy is not only an investor, but also a customer.)

But it took a lot of research and development to get a simple solution to work. ESS has been working on research and development for a decade. The proton pump was a really key breakthrough for the company, but one of many.

“There’s a very large intellectual property moat around the core technology and that will make it very difficult for other competitors to build a battery that is similar to ESS’ battery,” Hossfeld told CNBC.

An ESS Inc battery
Photo courtesy ESS Inc

Another long duration battery being developed by Form Energy also uses iron and also is backed by Breakthrough Energy Ventures. Form, however, is developing iron-air batteries, which uses different technology and aims to provide energy storage for multiple days.

ESS batteries can store energy for 4 to 12 hours, whereas the lithium batteries in cars are typically capped between two and four hours, Dresselhuys said.

To go above four hours of energy storage with lithium-ion batteries requires increasing the number of lithium-ion cells, Hossfeld told CNBC. ESS, on the other hand, can just add more water, iron and salt to a bigger tank of its stack-sandwiches.

“The way to think about ESS cost-wise is they are cost parity with lithium ion at four hours, and about half the cost above that, which we think creates a big advantage for them,” Hossfeld told CNBC.

Another key to the ESS iron-flow technology is its resilience.

“Capacity stays the same between year one and year 20,” Hossfeld said. Anyone who has a cellphone knows that is not the case for lithium-ion batteries. “You open it up, it comes out of the case, right now it will give you 10 hours. We all know it doesn’t give you 10 hours in a year, right?”

Energy centers are co-located with a wind or solar farm, allowing the batteries to charge up during the day when the sun is shining and then discharge in the late afternoon when there is typically a bump in energy demand.

SB Energy’s first installation of ESS Inc batteries in Davis, Calif. SB Energy is an investor in ESS and also a customer. These are batteries SB Energy purchased.
Photo courtesy SB Energy

Similarly with wind. “You can store four, eight, 10 hours of wind plants in the middle of the night and then discharge it during the day as needed,” Hossfeld told CNBC. “We look at ESS as a really good complement to that daily cycling between wind and solar.”

The Energy Warehouse, the only ESS product that exists so far, is the size of a shipping container, 40 feet long and 8 feet wide.

“That container holds 500 kilowatt hours of energy. That’s roughly the energy that you would need to power 20 to 30 homes, depending on where you are in the country,” McDermott told CNBC.

Four ESS Inc batteries
photo courtesy ESS Inc

ESS is also building a product called Energy Centers intended for utilities and independent power producers — for instance, businesses that own large solar farms who then sell that power to the grid.

For these kinds of larger customers, ESS will use similar battery technology, but the battery modules will be contained together in a building. Customer trials are expected to begin in 2022.

The big challenge: Getting an iron flow battery to scale

While iron-based batteries are a well-known technology, the big challenge has been getting them to scale.

“Iron based chemistries for flow batteries have a long and storied history, rightfully so because in theory they have some of the lowest theoretical costs possible. On paper these systems scale quite well,” explained Dan Steingart, Associate Professor of Chemical Metallurgy at Columbia University

But the reality has been quite different.

“We have not seen widespread adoption of this class of batteries and its cousins because of last-mile engineering challenges that have in the past added unacceptable capital and operating costs when compared to other available technologies,” Steingart told CNBC.

Flow batteries depend on pumps and membranes that are highly technical. “Think a kidney, writ very large, working 10,000 times harder than it has to, all the time,” he said. “It has been very difficult to have these, in practice, operate in a reliable manner without significant ancillary systems (that make the system more expensive upfront) or maintenance calls (which increase running costs).”‘

That said, Steingart notes the “sufficient capital” ESS has raised to validate its solutions to these challenges.

Also, ESS in September secured a 10-year battery warranty backed by the insurance giant Munich Re, which “is a strong signal of a positive outcome,” Steingart told CNBC.

Cost is another conern.

“The iron flow battery technology looks very promising as it is safe, environmentally friendly, uses non-toxic materials that can be sourced in the US, and doesn’t degrade over time and over multiple cycles,” Jan Pepper, the CEO of Peninsula Clean Energy, told CNBC.

Peninsula Clean Energy, a community energy buyer and the official power provider for San Mateo County in Calif., has not worked with ESS directly, but it’s trying to deliver cost-competitive 100% renewable energy on a 24/7 basis by 2025. Pepper knows that energy storage will help meet those goals.

“The current challenge with iron flow batteries is the cost,” Pepper said. “If companies like ESS can bring the cost down for their technology, then they and others will be able to make a meaningful impact in decarbonization efforts and help organizations like Peninsula Clean Energy meet our ambitious goals.” 

As Steingart told CNBC, “A goal I use is in my lab for long duration energy storage: The battery has to cost about the same price as dog food per pound and last forever with little intervention.”

That said, if ESS can do what its investors think it can, “the successful execution of this chemistry would be a significant milestone for grid scale energy storage,” Steingart told CNBC.

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EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member’s Festival

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EcoFlow members can save up to 65% on power stations while supporting disaster relief during the 2025 Member's Festival

Portable power station specialist EcoFlow is kicking off its third annual Member’s Festival this month and is offering a unique new rewards program to those who become EcoFlow members. The 2025 EcoFlow Member’s Festival will offer savings of up to 65% for its participating customers, and a portion of those funds will be allocated toward rescue power solutions for communities around the globe through the company’s “Power for All” fund.

EcoFlow remains one of the industry leaders in portable power solutions and continues to trek forward in its vision to power a new tech-driven, eco-conscious future. Per its website:

Our mission from day one is to provide smart and eco-friendly energy solutions for individuals, families, and society at large. We are, were, and will continue to be a reliable and trusted energy companion for users around the world.

To achieve such goals, EcoFlow has continued to expand its portfolio of sustainable energy solutions to its community members, including portable power stations, solar generators, and mountable solar panels. While EcoFlow is doing plenty to support its growing customer base, it has expanded its reach by giving back to disaster-affected communities by helping bolster global disaster response efforts the best way it knows how– with portable power solutions.

EcoFlow Member
Source: EcoFlow

EcoFlow and its members look to provide “Power for All”

Since 2023, EcoFlow has collaborated with organizations worldwide as part of its “Power for All” mission. This initiative aims to ensure access to reliable and timely power to disaster-affected communities across the globe, including rescue agencies, affected hospitals, and shelters, to support rescue and recovery efforts.

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This fund most recently provided aid for communities affected by the recent Los Angeles wildfires, assistance to the Special Forces Charitable Trust (SFCT) in North Carolina following severe hurricanes, and support for non-profits engaged in hurricane preparedness in Florida and the Gulf Coast. Per Jodi Burns, CEO of the Special Forces Charitable Trust:

In the wake of devastating storms in Western North Carolina, reliable power was a critical need for the families we serve. Thanks to EcoFlow’s generous donation of generators, we were able to provide immediate relief, ensuring these families and their communities had access to power when they needed it most. We are so impressed with EcoFlow’s commitment to disaster response through their ‘Power for All’ program. It has made a tangible impact, and we are deeply grateful for their support and partnership in helping these families recover and rebuild.

In 2024, the US experienced 27 weather and climate events, each causing losses exceeding $1 billion, marking the second-highest annual total on record, according to National Centers for Environmental Information. The increasing frequency and severity of natural disasters underscore the critical need for reliable and timely power solutions during emergencies, much like EcoFlow and its members are helping provide through the “Power For All” initiative.

To support new and existing EcoFlow members, the company is celebrating its third annual Member’s Festival throughout April to offer a do-not-miss discount on its products and donate a portion of all sales to the “Power for All” fund to provide rescue power to those in need in the future. Learn how it all works below.

Source: EcoFlow

Save big and give back during the 2025 Member’s Festival

As of April 1st, you can now sign up to become an EcoFlow member to participate in the company’s exclusive 2025 Member Festival.

As a member, you can earn “EcoFlow Power Points” by completing tasks like registration, referrals, and product purchases and tracking your individual efforts toward disaster preparedness and recovery.

Beginning April 4, EcoFlow members will also be able to take advantage of exclusive discounts of up to 65% off select portable power stations, including the DELTA Pro Ultra, DELTA Pro 3, DELTA 2 Max, DELTA 3 Plus, RIVER 3 Plus, and more. However, these sale prices only last through April 25, so you’ll want to move quickly!

Click here to learn more about EcoFlow’s “Power for All” campaign. To register for EcoFlow’s 2025 Member Festival in the US, visit the EcoFlow website. To register as a member in Canada, visit here.

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Tesla loses another top talent: its long-time head of software

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Tesla loses another top talent: its long-time head of software

Tesla is losing another top talent: its long-time head of software, David Lau, has reportedly told co-workers that he is exiting the automaker.

Tesla changed how the entire auto industry looks at software.

Before Tesla, it was an afterthought; user interfaces were rudimentary, and you had to go to a dealership to get a software update on your systems.

When Tesla launched the Model S in 2012, it all changed. Your car would get better through software updates like your phone, the large center display was responsive with a UI that actually made sense and was closer to an iPad experience than a car.

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Tesla also integrated its software into its retail experience, service, and manufacturing.

David Lau deserves a lot of the credit for that.

He joined Tesla in 2012 as a senior manager of firmware engineering and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2014, he was promoted to director of firmware engineering and system integration, and in 2017, he became Vice President of software.

Lau listed the responsibilities of his team on his LinkedIn:

  • Vehicle Software:
    • Firmware for the powertrain, traction/stability control, HV electronics, battery management, and body control systems
    • UI software and underlying Embedded Linux platforms
    • Navigation and routing
    • iOS and Android Mobile apps
  • Distributed Systems:
    • Server-side software and infrastructure that provides telemetry, diagnostics, over-the-air updates, and configuration/lifecycle management
    • Data engineering and analytics platforms that power technical and business insights for an increasingly diverse set of customers across the company
    • Diagnostic tools and fleet management, Manufacturing and Automation:
  • Automation controls (PLC, robot)
    • Server-side manufacturing execution systems that power all of Tesla’s production operations
  • Product Security and Red Team for software, services, and systems across Tesla

Bloomberg reported today that Lau told his team he is leaving Tesla. The report didn’t include reasons for his stepping down.

Electrek’s Take

Twelve years at any company is a great run. At Tesla, it’s heroic. Congrats, David, on a great run. You undoubtedly had a significant impact on Tesla and software advancements in the broader auto industry.

He is another significant loss for Tesla, which has been losing a lot of top talent following a big wave of layoffs around this time last year.

I wonder who will take over. Michael Rizkalla, senior director of software engineering and vehicle firmware, is one of the most senior software engineers after Lau. He has been at Tesla for 7 years, and Tesla likes to promote within rather than hire outsiders.

There are also a lot of senior software execs working on AI at Tesla. Musk has been favoring them lately and he could fold Lau’s responsibilities under them.

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Kia’s EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK right now

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Kia's EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK right now

Kia’s electric SUVs are taking over. The EV3 is the best-selling retail EV in the UK this year, giving Kia its strongest sales start since it arrived 34 years ago. And it’s not just in the UK. Kia just had its best first quarter globally since it started selling cars in 1962.

Kia EV3 is the best-selling EV in the UK through March

In March, Kia sold a record nearly 20,000 vehicles in the UK, making it the fourth best-selling brand. It was also the second top-seller of electrified vehicles (EVs, PHEVs, and HEVs), accounting for over 55% of sales.

The EV3 remained the best-selling retail EV in the UK last month. Including the EV6, three-row EV9, and Niro EV, electric vehicles represented 21% of Kia’s UK sales in March.

Kia said the EV3 “started with a bang” in January, darting out as the UK’s most popular EV in retail sales. Through March, Kia’s electric SUV has held on to the crown. With the EV3 rolling out, Kia sold over 7,000 electric cars through March, nearly 50% more than in Q1 2024.

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The EV3 was the best-selling retail EV in the UK in the first quarter and the fourth best-selling EV overall, including commercial vehicles.

Kia-EV3-best-selling-EV
Kia EV3 Air 91.48 kWh in Frost Blue (Source: Kia UK)

Starting at £33,005 ($42,500), Kia said it’s the “brand’s most affordable EV yet.” It’s available with two battery packs, 58.3 kWh or 81.48 kWh, good for 430 km (270 miles) and 599 km (375 miles) of WLTP range, respectively.

Kia-EV3-best-selling-EV
From left to right: Kia EV6, EV3, and EV9 (Source: Kia UK)

With new EVs on the way, this could be just the start. Kia is launching several new EVs in the UK this year, including the EV4 sedan (and hatchback) and EV5 SUV. It also confirmed that the first PV5 electric vans will be delivered to customers by the end of the year.

Electrek’s Take

Globally, Kia sold a record 772,351 vehicles in the first quarter, its best since it started selling cars in 1962. With the new EV4, the brand’s first electric sedan and hatchback, launching this year, Kia looks to build on its momentum in 2025.

Kia has also made it very clear that it wants to be a global leader in the electric van market with its new Platform Beyond Vehicle (PBV) business, starting with the PV5 later this year.

Earlier today, we learned Kia’s midsize electric SUV, the EV5, is the fourth best-selling EV in Australia through March, outselling every BYD vehicle (at least for now). The EV5 is rolling out to new markets this year, including Canada, the UK, South Korea, and Mexico. However, it will not arrive in the US.

For those in the US, there are still a few Kia EVs to look forward to. Kia is launching the EV4 globally, including in the US, later this year. Although no date has been set, Kia confirmed the EV3 is also coming. It’s expected to arrive in mid-2026.

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